Baby support



u y 1951 J. MCPEAKE, JR 2,562,623

BABY SUPPORT Filed June 12, 1947 mvewrm. if f fie Pea Ka-Jr.

h HTTORNEY.

Patented July 31, 195i tomes STATES PATENT oFFIcE 2,562,628 BABY SUPPORTFrank J. McPeake, J r., Flushing, N. Y.

Application June 12, 1947, Serial No. 754,217

This invention relates to a device for supporting and retaining a babyin sitting position in a bathtub while being bathed.

v It is the principal object of the invention to provide such a devicewhich is easy and inex pensive to manufacture.

It is another object of the invention to provide a base portion of thesupport with a removable slip-cover to form a seat and hold the supporton the bottom of p a bathtub under th force of the water in the bathtub.

It is a further object of the invention to form a back rest and bodyenclosing portion within the confines of the base portion whereby thebaby is prevented from assuming a standing position.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a strap fixedintermediate the ends to the back rest and slidably supported on theback rest at portions thereof between the fixed portion and the ends ofthe beltto prevent the belt from dropping into 'the water and facilitatestrapping of'the baby to the back rest.

Other subjects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appearin the detailed dc.- scription of the invention.

In the drawing accompanying and forming'a part of this application,

, Figure l is a'view looking at the top of the support constituting theembodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the support.

Figure 3 is. an end sectional view of the support taken substantially onthe line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken onthe line 4-4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows to showfastening means on the slip-cover for releasably securing the slip-coveron the base portion of the support.

The embodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawingcomprises a base portion A and a back rest and body enclosing portion Bconnected to each other and constructed of tubular stock.

The base portion A is of U-shape in plan view with the connectingsection of arcuate or curved shape, as shown at 5 in Figure 1, and thelet, sections 6 converging toward each other in a direction from theconnecting section 5.

The portions A and B are connected to each other by portions 1 connectedto the leg sections 6 of the base portion by an acute angle bend 8, asshown in Figure 2. The portions 1 converge 5 Claims. (01. 15520) j 2toward each other and '5' rest B by bending said portions at an obtuseangle, as at 9 in Figure 2; and extending said connecting portions intoleg sections In of the back rest B extending at the angle of convergenceof the connecting portions 1. The leg sections ID are connected by anarcuate section II of the back rest, as shown in Figure 1. The legsections 59 and arcuate section II extend in a plane parallel to theplane of the leg sections 6 and arcuate connecting section 5.

The base and back rest portions A and B may be constructed from onepiece of tubular stock formed to a tapering loop shape with the ends ofsaid piece connected at the center or" the curved connecting section 5of the base portion A or at the center of the curved connecting sectionI I of the back rest 13. The base and back rest portions A and B mayalso be constructed from two pieces of tubular stock, one pieceincluding the curved section 5 and adjoining parts of the leg sections6, and the other piece including the remaining parts of the leg sections6, the connecting portions 1, bends 8, leg sections I 0 and curvedsection II. The two pieces are joinedto each other by suitable meansattached to the adjoining ends of the leg sections 6 of the base portion-A. In either form of construction the tubular stock is readily bentinto the described configurations.

The widest part of the base portion A, which is at the junctures I2between the curved connecting section 5 and the leg sections 5 of thebase portion, is substantially equal to the width of the bottom of thebathtub in which the support is to be engaged, so that the support willfit snugly in said bathtub.

To provide a seat on the base portion A, a slipcover is slidinglyengaged on said base portion. The slip cover comprises a tubular bodyl3, of suitable material, such as cloth, tapering from one end to theopposite end and the angle of taper corresponding to the angle ofconvergence of the leg sections 6 of the base portion, so that therewill be a tight fit between the slip-cover and the base portionv A. Thelength of the body of the slip cover is slightly less than the length ofthe leg sections 6 of the base portion A, whereby the slip-cover willextend from points in the leg sections 6 adjacent to the acute bends 8to the juncture l2. To releasably retain the slipcover on the baseportion A, the widest end of the the center line between the legsections 6 in the direction from the bends the curved connecting sectionof the base pore tion A withoneextremity overlapping-the otherextremity, as shown in Figure 4. The extremities are releasablyconnected to each other by snapg fasteners 16 attached to correspondingportions of the extremities, as shown in Figure 4. The

converging edges of the projections [4 will ex pose correspondingportions of the curved connecting section 5, which have a polishedfinish, and hence enhance the appearance of the sup-v port. Theslip-cover isreadily engaged on the base portionA byengaging thewidestend of the Y slip-cover overthe curved gend ll of the back,

rest B, as shown in broken linesin Figure 2, and pulling the slip-coverover the gleg sections Ill,

obtuse bends 9, connecting portions 1, acute bends 8 onto the legsections 6.

lhe slip-cover in addition to providing a seat for, the baseportionA-will also keep the support on the bottom of the bathtub by the weightof the water in said bathtub on said slip-cover forcingathe-base portionA against the bottom of the bathtub.

The angle of convergence of the leg portions Ill and the curvature ofthe arcuate connecting section I i will conform to the body of a babyand restrain-the baby in sitting position on the slipcover 13.

Tosecure the baby within the back rest B, a strap I! is-fixedintermediate the ends thereof to the curved connectingsection ll of theback rest Bby suitable securing means, such as a rivet 18., To preventthe belt fromhanging into the Water, portions of the belt between therivet l8 and the ends thereof are slidably supported from the leg;sections Hi by loops, l9 slidable on said ieg sections andsecuredgattheends to the belt, as by rivets 28. One end. of the belt is arrangedwith, a buckle 2!, or; other suitable fastening,

means, which is positioned out of the grasp, of the baby seated on thesupport.

Having thus described-;my invention, I claim:

1. In a baby support, a base portion of U-shape having the leg sectionsconverging toward each other in a direction from the connecting sectionthereof, and a back rest of U-shape having the leg sections divergingfrom each other in a direction from the connecting section thereof andconnected to the converging ends of the leg sections of the base portionand a portion of the back rest extending over the space between thelegzsections of:the base portion.

2. A baby support as claimed in claim 1, wherein the back rest is ofless length than the length of the base portion.

3. In a baby support as claimed in claim 1, a

tubular cover of tapering form conforming to the angle of convergence ofthe leg sections of the base portion and having tapering projectionsextendingfromthe end of largest diameter to engage over the connectingsection of the base portion, and cooperating fastening means on saidprojectionsto'secure the cover on the base portion.

4. In a baby support as, claimed in claim 1, a strap fixed. intermediatethe ends to the connecting sectionof theback rest and portions of thestrap between the fixed intermediate portion and the ends of the strapslidably supported by the leg sections of the backrest.

5. In a baby support, a tubular member of taperingloop form, the largerend portion of the loop constituting a base portion of the sup port; theintermediate portion of the loop bent at an acute angle fromthe. baseportion, and the smaller end portionof the. loop extended from the bentintermediate portion of the loop in a plane parallel to the plane of thebase portion to consti tute arback rest and body encircling portion.

FRANK ,J. MYCPEAKE, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The followlng. ref-erences are ;of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS?

